Perfect Tragedy
by D.I.L.K
Summary: "I wasn't looking for love - I was far too eager to be a soldier for that...If I had found you, there isn't a doubt in my mind how I would have proceeded." What if Bella is given a chance to go back in time to Chicago 1918? Full summary inside.
1. Goodbye

Chapter 1: Goodbye

_Goodbye, green eyes  
>Goodbye for now<br>Goodbye, sunshine  
>Take care of yourself<em>

_I have to go, I have to go, I have to go  
>And leave you alone<br>But always know, always know, always know  
>That I love you so, I love you so, oh.<br>I love you so _

Full story summary:

"You see, Bella, I was always that boy. In my world, I was already a man. I wasn't looking for love - no, I was far too eager to be a soldier for that; I thought of nothing but the idea of idealized glory of the war that they were selling prospective draftees then - but if I had found..." He paused, cocking his head to the side. "I was about to say if I had found someone, but that won't do. If I had found you, there isn't a doubt in my mind how I would have proceeded. I was that boy, who would have - as soon as I discovered that you were what I was looking for - gotten down on one knee and endeavored to secure your hand. I would have wanted you for eternity, even when the word didn't have quite the same connotations."

What if Bella is given a chance to go back in time to Chicago, 1918? Follow Bella as she finds out if Edward was right in his assumption.

**BPOV**

"Are you going to visit him today?" Edward asks as he leans somewhat casually against my dressing table.

I nod, turning around to read his face. How is it possible that my visiting Jacob has no effect on him? I ask myself if I will be uncomfortable if Edward were to visit someone he'd loved previously. I cannot even give a resolute 'no', if I am being truthful. Plus, there is still a little teensy bit inside me that still loves Jake.

I get up from my bed and walk over, throwing my hands around him. "I love you. You know that right?"

He wraps his hands around my waist and clutches me closer to him. He buries his nose in my hair as he inhales deeply. "I know. I love you too, Bella. More than you could possibly comprehend," he whispers.

"Impossible," I shake my head.

"I know I've told you this before, but you're comparing _one_ tree to the _entire_ forest."

_Impossible._

I tilt my head to the side and kiss his throat before pulling back slightly. "Jake's waiting," I murmur.

He sighs, releasing his hold on my waist to cup my face between his hands. He leans down and places small butterfly kisses along my jaw line. Immediately, I feel my knees turn to jelly and I clutch his biceps for support. I didn't actually need to because I know Edward will never let me fall.

_Where am I going again?_

One of his hands moves up to my head and his fingers knots in my hair while the other inches down my back and crushes me against his chest, his lips finally finding mine.

He kisses me softly, his hard lips moving with mine ever so gently as I tug at his hair with my fingers. How can his hair be so soft? Then, his tongue touches my lips almost hesitantly and I gasp. He pulls away - or rather, wrenches himself - from me, breathing heavily. I almost whimper at the loss.

"Jacob's waiting for you, remember?" he whispers.

_Oh yes. Jake._ I step away from him with a sigh.

He meets me at my truck in the driveway (Charlie is in the house so he can't walk me down) and leans against it, out of Charlie's view. He brushes my hair away from my face and plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Be safe," he says without a trace of humor in his voice.

"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble comes looking for me," I point out, hopping into the cab of my bright orange Chevy.

Edward eyes my truck almost anxiously as if he expects it to blow up in front of him at any moment. "That's what I'm afraid about," he says so low that I'm not sure if I was meant to hear that. 

O.o.O 

"You mean he actually told you that while you were discussing the prospect of marriage? Damn, I've really underestimated him!" Jacob chuckles quite bitterly for someone who said that he'd stop cutting me in half to show that he loves me more than Edward does.

"What's wrong with saying that?"

"Do you really think he'd give up being a soldier just because he loves you? No guy would do that, Bella. During the 1910s, most of the men idolized the idea of fighting for the country, even if it meant sacrificing themselves. At the most he'd join the army and then come back a few years later to marry you," Jake scoffs.

"Stop it, Jake! You don't know what he was like back in 1918," I say defensively.

"And you do? C'mon Bells. He's not the kind of person he says he is."

"Why does it matter anyway? He's who I want," I plunge the knife in and re-open the barely healed wounds for both of us.

"Let's give us another shot -"

"No, Jake! Why hurt ourselves by trying it again? I know who I can't live without -"

Jake winces. "Wait. Listen to me. If I can somehow get you back to 1918, you can find out for yourself what kind of person Edward was before he became a bloodsucking monster. You can find out if he really would have proposed to you instead of going off to fight a war."

"Whether or not he would have done it then doesn't matter to me. What matters is now he wants me to marry him, and I want to be his in every sense of the word."

"Either way, you don't lose anything, Bells. If he doesn't change his mind about becoming a soldier, you'll understand how his mind works, at least. And he'll still be here when you get back," he shrugs like time travel isn't such a big deal. "When you find out what kind of person he really is, maybe you might change your mind about being tied to him for eternity."

"Are you delirious, Jake?" I reach out to touch his forehead. His temperature is a hundred degrees on average, so I have no idea if he has a fever or not. "Time travel isn't possible. It hasn't even been invented yet!"

"You don't have a lot of faith in him, do you? You keep thinking of reasons not to do it, instead of reasons to do it," Jake grins.

Damn, this side of him makes me want to yank my hair out in frustration! I have complete faith in Edward, don't I? So why does it matter if I go back in time or not?

"What's in it for you?" I narrow my eyes suspiciously at him. He mentioned giving us another chance. But how...?

"I'm hoping that when you realize that bloodsucker isn't the noble guy he says he is, the one who is willing to give up fame for love, you'll come back to me, because I'd do it for you, Bells. In a heartbeat."

Yeah, and I have to go back in time to prove Edward is who he says he is and Jake doesn't need me to have any proof of his words.

What do I have to lose? Even if Edward decides to go to war instead of staying with me, what difference does it make? I will still get to marry him when I get back right? Plus it won't hurt to know Edward when he was human to understand why he makes the decisions he makes when it involves me.

"Fine. Either way, my decision stays the same, Jake. Don't keep your hopes up." My voice cracks when I say that last sentence. Jake tries to hold back a grimace without much success.

"I still have hope for us, Bells. I'm not giving up just yet." 

O.o.O 

"Dad, have you eaten yet?" I ask Charlie who is watching a re-run of a baseball game when I return home.

"Yeah, I picked something up from the Diner before I came back. How's Jacob? Is he feeling any better?" Charlie replies, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Yeah, Jake's fine," I keep my tone somewhat neutral, knowing that Edward is listening from upstairs.

"That's good to hear. Goodnight, Bells," he makes eye contact this time, no doubt looking for signs of any waterworks.

"G'night dad. Hope the White Sox win," I try to give an enthusiastic smile but fail miserably at it.

I go upstairs. Edward is leaning against my bedroom door by the time I reach the second floor landing. His eyes rake down my body twice before coming back up and looking into my eyes. He is checking for any injuries, no doubt

"How's your best friend?" Edward whispers into my hair, pulling me into the bedroom and kicking the door shut softly.

"He's almost back to normal now," I reply, careful to keep my tone happy.

He pulls back slightly to analyze my face. I keep my eyes on his, not wanting him to suspect anything. Trying to keep my smile looking genuine, I trail my hands up his chest and lock them around his cool neck.

How long will I be gone for? How long will it take 1918 Edward to fall in love with me?

Contemplating the latter makes me feel like a manipulative bitch.

"I love you. I will always love you, no matter what happens," I whisper before crushing my lips to his in a desperate kiss. I only have a fleeting twelve hours left with _my Edward_ and I want to make the most of it.

He kisses me back, hesitantly, and I can almost hear the whirring sounds of his brain as he tries to come up with a reasonable answer for the way I am acting.

My tongue traces lightly over his lips, relishing in the warmth from my lips on his. He tenses slightly but doesn't pull away. I suck his bottom lip into my mouth and he steps back, unlocking my hands from around his neck.

"What is it?" he murmurs, slightly breathless from kissing.

"What is what?" I feign ignorance as I throw myself onto my bed and hide under the covers.

Edward worms his way under them to join me a split second later, careful to keep some of the duvet between us to insulate me from his cold skin. I yank them away almost immediately. No, I don't want anything in between us. Not when I only have so little time left.

"Tell me," Edward demands, angling my face upward so that he can read my face.

I avert my eyes anyway. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Damn it, Bella, you're the world's most horrible liar. I know you're keeping something from me," Edward growls. I can hear the frustration in his voice.

"I can't tell you yet," I whisper. 

_Oh Edward, believe me, I want to tell you. I want to, but I can't._

He scrutinizes my expression for a while before he gasps. Oh my God. Are my thoughts written on my face? Or does he suddenly have the ability to read my silent mind?

"You're leaving me?" he whispers, and I can hear the anguish and heart shattering pain in his voice.

_Yes, but only temporarily. Oh Edward._

I reach up to touch his face and tears well up in my eyes at his expression. I've never seen so much pain on my angel's face.

"No, Edward, I'm not. Why would you think that?"

He leans into my touch as he continues to scrutinize my face. He has become so good at reading my face that I almost start panicking. What if he finds out? I know without a doubt he will do anything to try and stop me. Will he feel betrayed because I don't trust him enough?

"You don't want to marry me?" he tries again, his voice barely a whisper. He looks down at my ring, traces it briefly before looking back up at me.

"I want to marry you, Edward. Believe me, there's nothing I'd rather do," I whisper back, finally succumbing to my tears. I can't take it. The guilt of going behind his back and the prospect of leaving him, even for a little while is too much for me to handle.

He crushes me to his chest, letting my tears stain his shirt. He rubs soothing circles across my back while he holds me and kisses my hair, making me feel worse than I already feel.

"I love you, Edward. I love you so much. I want to tell you everything, but I can't, and it's killing me inside," I sob brokenly into his chest, inhaling his sweet, sweet scent and committing it to memory.

"I love you too. More than anything in the world, my beautiful brown eyes," he says softly, his lips at my ear.

I cry even more than I had when I knew it was over for Jake and me. My eyes are so swollen and tired that I know I can't even cry another tear. I look up at Edward in the darkness. His expression is so heart wrenching that moisture brims in my eyes again and spills over onto my cheeks.

How can I leave him for God knows how long when I can't even survive the thought of it?

I finally understand how he felt when he thought he had to leave me last year after my disaster of a birthday. It is the worst feeling I've ever felt in my life.

He hugs me even tighter to his chest than before. I hear Charlie's footsteps as he ascends the stairs and up to my room to check on me, but he doesn't enter. Maybe he heard my sobs from behind the door. I wasn't exactly trying to muffle the sounds I made. He leaves after a while, his footsteps even heavier on his way down to his room.

I kiss Edward's chest, hold his hand in the darkness and somehow drift off into a restless sleep.

O.o.O

I make meticulous notes the next morning, getting information from the Internet, from Carlisle and from Edward himself. I can't just waltz into 1918 Chicago without knowing my American History! Edward may have already guessed what I am up to if the idea isn't so bizarre. Well, more bizarre than the existence of vampires and werewolves anyway.

Edward had eyed me warily when I woke some three hours after I cried myself to sleep. His hand traced soothing circles on the back of my palm, his other hand under my neck.

"I'm okay now," I lied, rubbing my eyes.

I can tell he didn't believe me, but he didn't press it.

"I'm going to Jake's," I tell Edward after I finish gathering my notes.

"Okay. Hurry back," he gives me a chaste kiss and my favorite crooked grin.

_I'll try. I promise._

"Okay," I return his smile. I turn to step out of the house. What if I don't come back for a whole month? What will Edward think?

I spin around and throw myself at him, literally, and attack him with my lips. He kisses me back hungrily, almost desperately. He backs me up against my front door and traces the waistband of my dark washed jeans. His fingertips makes contact with my skin, and I gasp at the electricity that seems to flow. It scorches my skin, but I want more. I can't get enough of it.

My fingers find their way to his silky bronze locks and tug on them harder than I usually would have.

He lets out a sound somewhere in between a growl and moan. It is almost animalistic, but damn if it isn't sexy.

I break away, gasping for air, and he angles my face upwards even more to kiss my throat. I hitch my leg up around his hip in response.

His tongue flicks out to trace over the spot on my throat he's just kissed and I let out a moan loud enough to wake the neighbors.

Edward pulls away slightly and kisses my lips once more. It is sweet, soft and lingering. He pulls back.

"I'll see you later," he says huskily. If I didn't know how he feels about sex, I could have sworn he was thinking about doing it later, his conditions be damned. But this is Edward we are talking about. He is the master of self-control.

My cheeks are flushed from our makeout session on my front porch and he touches them lightly with his cool fingertips.

I trace his cheek with my fingertips and memorize every inch of his face, from the unruly bronze locks that falls over his liquid gold eyes to his full perfect lips.

"Wait for me, Edward."

"Of course," he answers with a smile.

"Promise me," I add.

His brows furrow. "I promise, Bella. I love you."

Tears spring to my eyes again involuntarily. I bite down hard on my lip, fighting to keep them at bay. "I love you more," I whisper, getting onto my bike.

When I am on the road, some fifty miles from Edward, I let the tears spill over and cloud my vision. 

O.o.O 

"So how are we going to do this?" I ask Jake flatly. I yearn to be back in Edward's embrace where I know I will always be safe.

"Here," he hands me a pale purple candle.

I raise an eyebrow. "What's this for?"

"It's your method of time travel," Jake explains patiently, as if I am asking him a math problem, instead of defying all possible explanations of science. "Just light the candle and make a wish."

I am sure he was pulling my leg now. I stare at him, waiting for him to slap his thighs and break out in uncontrollable laughter but he doesn't. He looks very serious. Too serious for someone who I assume is telling a joke.

"You'd better not be pulling my leg, Jake," I say warningly.

He passes me a lighter and I light the candle. It starts burning with a lilac flame.

"One last thing, Bells. Don't do anything major that will screw up history okay? One wrong move can rewrite history. Remember that," he looks grimly at me.

I nod.

"Okay. Picture Chicago in 1918 and blow out the candle. Focus on where you want to go," he instructs.

I push all thoughts about Edward's protective embrace out of my head and picture streets without the modern infrastructure. Girls wearing long skirts that covers their ankles and big floppy hats with feathers. Men wearing pants with suspenders. Edward with a slight tan and warmth...

"BELLA!"

I gasp, wrenching my eyes open. Edward – _my Edward_ is rushing to me at full vampire speed, so fast that within a split second, he has crossed a distance of half a mile. His hand is outstretched, fingers grasping wildly at my arm.

Everything happens so fast that I am not even sure what happened. A tremendous force hurls me away from Edward and I feel as if a cyclone is dragging me into its vortex, sweeping me away at 200 miles per hour.

I feel my feet hit the ground a while later, the force pushing me not quite dissipated yet and I collide into something hard and unmistakably warm.

"Ow!" a voice says in protest as we both fall forward. My head hits the gravel and bounces off with a sickening thud. My vision blurs and tears fill my eyes as the pain resonates in my skull.

The darkness threatens to overwhelm me. Falling into it will be simpler than blinking. I blink a few times to clear my vision, as I fight to stay awake.

"Miss? Miss, are you all right?" an all too familiar voice asks me.

My vision clears for a few precious seconds and I see a head of wild untamed bronze locks and sparkling green eyes.

"Edward..." I say breathlessly.

The last thing I remember before letting the blackness consume me whole is the familiar furrowed brows on his face…

**A/N: Okay, there you have it. I'm already working on the second chapter, but I have no intention of posting it until I know that people actually want to read this. So yeah, drop me a note to tell me how I should improve and/or if I should continue writing this story.**

**Okay, see you soon! Go to my profile for fic recs and my twitter in case you people want to see spoilers and know when I'm gonna be updating this and my other fics. **

**XOXO ~ DILK**


	2. My Life Would SUCK Without You

Chapter 2: My Life Would SUCK Without You

'_Cause we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You got a piece of me_

_And honestly_

_My life would suck without you_

_~ Kelly Clarkson _

**BPOV**

"Miss. Miss! Can you hear me?" It's Edward! He's here! I want to reply or just open my eyes, but my body refuses to obey my brain's commands.

"Maybe you should slap her, sir," an unfamiliar voice suggests.

"Luke!" Edward gasps, shock evident in his tone. "I can't hit a lady!"

"I can do it for you, sir, if that's what you're worried about," the man named Luke offers.

"Men should _never_ lay a hand on a lady, much less use violence on them," Edward growls.

"Sorry, sir," Luke says somewhat apologetically.

I feel myself being lifted into a familiar set of arms. Damn, I've missed these arms.

"Where are you taking her, sir? The hospital?" 

_What_? No!

Darkness closes in once again before I can hear Edward's reply...

O.o.O

I wake up to dark, unfamiliar surroundings. Where am I? Sitting up, I put my head in my hands as I frantically try to remember what had happened before my memory lapse.

_The purple candle. The lilac flame. Warm, green-eyed Edward_. Oh God.

I snap up and take in my surroundings. There is simply no way. How can I be in 1918 Chicago? The idea itself seems ridiculous!

And yet, when I see the furniture and objects which look like they belong in a museum rather than in this bedroom, I cannot deny the fact that I am not in my own time... unless this is a careful set up for an elaborate April fool's joke.

Gingerly, I stand up and make my way over to the door. My head still aches from the impact of my fall.

I vaguely remember the man named Luke mentioning something about a hospital. I am not in a hospital, that's for sure. Whose house is this? Edward's?

I am momentarily blinded by the brightness outside the darkened room as I push the door open. When I get used to the light which flood mercilessly into my lids, I gasp.

Edward failed to mention some things about his past. He told me briefly about the stuff that went on, but he neglected to mention that he was wealthy. _Very_ wealthy.

The railing of the staircase is gold plated...or maybe it is solid gold. I can't tell. There are many rooms to my right and left. This isn't a house. A mansion might be a more fitting word. Or maybe a small castle. Yeah. That's how big the place is.

I am about to head downstairs when a voice which made my heart thump erratically speaks. "Ah, our sleeping beauty is awake. How are you feeling?"

I whirl around to face the very reason why I came back in time. My memory of him did him no justice.

His skin is tanner than I had ever seen it and his eyes are a vibrant shade of green. His hair, though, hasn't changed a bit. It is the exact same copper shade as my Edward, and it is untamed, sticking up in every imaginable direction. His face is slightly rounder, and he looks younger, slightly more boyish. There is also an air of innocence about him.

His eyes narrows as he takes in my clothes, which I had not thought to change before jumping into the vortex which transported me back here. I notice the lashes which frame his eyes. Oh my. Such long lashes.

When he meets my eyes again, he raises his eyebrow, his expression expectant. Oh right. He'd asked me how I am.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. I'm Bella Swan," I introduce myself, holding out my right hand, "You are..?"

He narrows his eyes again and regards me suspiciously. "Edward Masen." He grasps my hand briefly before releasing it. Ah, he must've heard me say his name before I fainted.

I watch his face carefully to see if he feels anything from the contact. As always, I feel the hum of electricity tingling in my hand where he touched it. I'd always assumed he felt the same connection. However, he gives no indication that what just happened was any different from an ordinary handshake. My heart sinks.

"So, Miss Swan, where are you from?" Edward says conversationally as he leads me downstairs.

I look up at him to reply and stumble while at it. I feel myself falling forward and I tense, bracing myself for the inevitable splitting of my skull...which never comes.

Edward grabs my wrist while his other hand clutches at my waist in an attempt to support me. I exhale a breath which I didn't know I had been holding when I realize I'm not going to plummet down a flight of marble steps to my death. 

I can feel his fingers digging into my flesh, the warmth radiating from him. This Edward is warm. God, I can get used to this.

"Are you all right?" he asks, letting go of me. I miss the contact instantly. I clear my throat, trying to suppress an involuntary blush that is creeping up my cheeks.

"I'm fine." I grab the railing, not trusting my feet to keep me upright. Once I am clear of the stairs, I relax slightly. Damn, why do I have to be such a klutz?

"Are you sure? You hit your head pretty hard just now, and the doctor said that you need to rest – "

"I'm fine. Really," I insist. There is a dull ache at the back of my head, but nothing I cannot handle. "I'm from Washington," I say in reply to his previous question.

"And do all the ladies dress like you do in Washington?" he asks, gazing down at my hoodie and dark wash jeans.

Of course. Women in 1918 did not wear denim jeans. He must be thinking that I am wearing men's clothes.

"Well, some do. I just happen to be one of them," I say as-a-matter-of-factly. Well, I am not exactly lying. People do dress like me, just not in this time period. Maybe if I stay closer to the truth, I will be less likely to expose myself.

"I see. Well where is your family? I can contact them and send you back as soon as you're ready to leave."

_But I'm not ready to leave. I don't want to leave you._

"Uh I didn't come here with my family," I say slowly. Crap. I frantically try to come up with a plausible storyline to tell him.

"So you came here with your friend then? I can contact her and – "

"No, Edward, I didn't come here with anyone. I'm alone."

"You mean you came all the way here to Chicago all by yourself? You're here with no one to take care of you?"

"I don't need anyone to take care of me," I retort indignantly.

Edward looks taken aback by my statement and tone. "Don't you?" he murmurs to himself. He looks like he wants to say more, but a man with jet black hair comes up to us.

"Dinner is ready, sir," he informs, looking at me with distrustful eyes.

Edward nods. He turns to me. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

I stare up at him blankly. "Us?"

The corner of his lips twitches in amusement. "My parents and myself, of course. Or I can ask someone to bring up some food if that's more comfortable for you," he shrugs.

The second option is preferable, of course, but what will he think of me if I hide upstairs like a coward?

"It's okay. I'll join you for dinner." 

O.o.O 

I am nervous. Hell, I don't even think the word 'nervous' covers what I feel right now. I am freaking out. So badly that I think I'm about to launch into a full scale panic attack.

I am going to meet Edward's birth parents. Oh God. Someone kill me now. What if they don't like me?

Edward senior and Elizabeth are sitting at the expensive looking dining table when Edward and I enter the dining room. Mr. Masen stands and Edward helps to push in my chair. Hmm. That's where Edward gets his gentlemanly qualities.

"Mum, dad, this is Bella Swan. She came to Chicago by herself and she obviously has nowhere to stay, so I was wondering if she can stay here for a while until she returns to Washington," Edward says once he's seated.

My palms are sweating, and I wipe them onto my jeans under the table. I can feel my ring as it grazes the rough denim. I nearly gasp aloud.

The ring belongs to Elizabeth Masen! Did Edward notice his mother's ring on my finger? Oh God. He will think of me as a thief!

"It's not a problem at all dear! It gets awfully quiet during the day when the men aren't around," Elizabeth says cheerily.

"Thank you, Mrs Masen, that's very kind of you, but I don't want to impose – "

"Nonsense! You're welcome to stay for as long as you like. And please, call me Elizabeth." She smiles warmly at me, and I return the smile, hoping like hell that my nervousness doesn't show up in my expression.

"All right, let's start eating, shall we?" Mr. Masen says, rubbing his palms together.

I make use of the opportunity to pull my ring off and shove it into my jeans pocket. Immediately, I feel a sense of loss.

When Edward put the ring on my finger a few days ago, I never wanted to take it off. Ironically, now I'm taking the ring off because of him. Life is just too damn weird.

"So Bella, are you still schooling?" Mr. Masen asks while he gestures for Elizabeth to pass him the salt.

Crap. "No, Mr. Masen. I actually just graduated from school a few weeks ago."

"Please, call me Senior. Everybody does. Do you have any plans?"

"I was actually thinking about going to college and – " 

"College? Why in the world would you need to go to college?" Edward interrupts me with a snort.

"To further my studies, of course!" I reply in a 'duh!' tone.

"Women do not need to further their studies. At this point in time, you should be looking for opportunities to find a suitable husband!" Edward retorts.

I notice Edward's parents shifting awkwardly at the table so I quickly deflect the subject of the argument away from myself.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to join the army once I graduate," he announces proudly.

"Certainly not!" Elizabeth cuts in.

"Mum, we've had this argument for the hundredth time already. I'm not going to change my mind," Edward says exasperatedly.

"The war may end by the time you graduate," I point out.

"I'm hoping like hell it doesn't."

"Do you have a backup plan? What if the war does end?" I ask anyway, even though I know that he will barely be alive by then.

Edward looks at Senior quickly before looking down at his plate. "If things fall through, I'll probably go to law school."

Ah. Edward isn't interested in following in his father's footsteps. What does he want to be then? Other than a soldier, of course.

"It's ridiculous how you'd throw your life away like that just for glory," I say as I put down my fork and spoon. I don't have much of an appetite.

"Ridiculous? Do you even know what you're saying, woman?" he retorts.

"It _is_ ridiculous, Edward. Foolish and idiotic as well!" Elizabeth adds.

Edward ignores her. "Don't you understand what it will be like when the army returns victorious? I'll be looked upon as a coward!"

"Does the opinion of others mean so much to you?" I ask. This is not the Edward I remember. My Edward doesn't give a damn about what others think as long as he gets what he desires. He wanted to marry me straight out of high school despite what others would have thought of us.

"It matters enough," Edward says shortly, and by his tone, I know this conversation is over. 

O.o.O 

"I'll get someone to send you some clothes to wear," Edward says as he walks me back to my room.

"I can buy my own clothes, Edward," I say exasperatedly. Damn it, I hate that he has these outdated views that women cannot provide for themselves.

"And how are you going to do that without a single cent in your pocket?"

"How do you know I don't have any money?" I snap. Did he go through my belongings while I was out cold?

"That's hardly the point, Miss Swan!" he retorts.

"Well, I can go out to work!"

"In the meantime, you still need something more appropriate to wear. Ladies might dress like that in Washington, but they do not do so here in Chicago," Edward explains slowly, as if he were talking to a five-year-old.

"Don't talk down to me," I tell him, trying desperately to control my anger. Since when did he become so infuriating?

"Well, I can hardly talk _up_ to you! You're too short!"

I throw my hands up in the air. "Forget it!"

He smirks at me before calling out to one of his servants.

"Thia! Are the dresses ready?"

A tiny girl with blonde hair comes running towards us. Her size reminds me of Alice. I gasp internally at the ache I feel in my chest at the thought of her. I miss her, and everyone else I have left behind.

Edward looks at me quizzically, but he doesn't get a chance to voice his thoughts.

"Miss, here's the dress. Can you try it on to see if it needs any altering?" she asks.

"Okay. And please, call me Bella," I say warmly. It feels odd to have someone address me like that.

Thia's gaze shifted to Edward's face nervously. "Uh I don't think that's a good idea, Miss."

"How come there's only one dress?" Edward asks her.

"Mrs. Masen said that it would be better for her to just try one on so that the other dresses can be resized before passing them to her," she replies nervously. Why is she so scared of Edward?

Edward nods and turns to me. "Meet me at the foot of the stairs when you're done."

"Why?"

"You'll know when the time comes," he says secretively and smiles his signature crooked smile. His smile dazzles me. His beauty has got nothing to do with being a vampire.

I return his smile shyly before entering my room and shutting the door behind me.

I look at the dress apprehensively while I try to slow my racing heart. It's really unfair, the way he can affect me both in 1918 and my time.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts before returning to the matter at hand. The waistline of the dress looks too small while the chest area looks too large.

I look down at my chest apprehensively. I've never put much thought into my chest size before. Glancing at the full length mirror, I tilt my body rightwards then left, hoping that in the right position, my chest will somehow look fuller.

I sigh, realizing my efforts are futile. I strip quickly, pick up the dress and step into it. The clasps and straps are on the back. Damn it. I reach my arms back awkwardly to try and secure them, trying not to get my arm sprained in the process.

When I'm done, I step outside to let Thia do her job. Surprisingly, I can fit into the dress without the need of a corset. Thank God.

Thia pins the hem of the dress up a little and tightens the chest area. The pins frighten me. I flinch every time she approaches me with one, afraid that she will poke me with it instead. Finally after five agonizing minutes, she steps back and announces that she's done.

"Thia, can you help me with this?" I ask, turning my back to her and gesturing to the clasps.

"Certainly, Miss," she says softly and helps me with them.

"Thank you. Give me a sec," I tell her before retreating to the room and stepping out of the dress. I pull a towel over myself hastily and return the dress to her.

She takes the dress from me and looks curiously at my bra straps. She flushes when she realizes I've caught her looking.

"We don't wear corsets where I live," I explain with a shrug.

"Goodnight, Miss," she says with a smile and starts to retreat to the hallway.

I return her shy smile and shut the door. I decide to take a shower to freshen up before meeting Edward. The throbbing in my head intensified while I was arguing with him and a hot shower may help to ease the discomfort a bit. Praying to God that they at least had proper piping, hot water and soap during this period, I step into the attached bathroom. 

O.o.O 

Feeling ten times more relaxed and reinvigorated after my shower, I dress quickly back into the clothes I came here with, excluding my hoodie, and towel dry my hair. I'm anxious to meet him. What is he up to?

I drape the wet towel over the back of one of the arm chairs in my room and exit my room hurriedly. The second I'm in the hallway again, I hear the unmistakable sounds of a piano.

A familiar tune floods my ears. Is it...Clair de Lune? Memories of the first time I sat in the front seat of Edward's Volvo flash through my head. God, I miss him. _My Edward_...

I descend the stairs slowly as I listen to the beautiful piece. It is one of my favorite songs, second only to my lullaby, which Edward had composed for me.

I follow the sound with my ear until I reach a door, which is partially closed. Through the gap, I can see an unmistakable head of bronze, unruly hair which defies the pomade he had applied to tame it.

Edward moves with the music as he plays. His playing skills are almost as good as my Edward. It is amazing to see this amount of talent in a human being.

I take a step forward sub-consciously, the music drawing me in somehow and Edward freezes. The music stops suddenly, leaving reverberations and echoes of the last notes he played around us.

He whips his head around and narrows his eyes at the doorway.

"Luke? Is that you?" he asks.

I push the door open a little wider and step into the room. "No, it's me. Bella."

He stands up, surprised. "That's faster than I'd expected." He starts to step away from the piano bench.

"Wait! Can you continue playing Clair de Lune? Please?" I ask.

"You listen to Debussy?" He sounds surprised again.

"It's one of my favorite songs. My mum used to play it back in Phoenix," I tell him. His reactions haven't changed in a century. The two Edwards are so similar and yet...so different.

"Phoenix? I thought you said you lived in Washington," he narrows his eyes at me. Why is he so suspicious of me?

"My mum lives in Phoenix and my dad lives in Washington. I grew up with my mum, but I decided to spend some quality time with my dad so that she could spend more time with Phil."

"Phil? Is he your step-father?"

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Talking about Charlie, Renee and Phil makes my heart ache. I miss them. For the first time, I wonder if time stops in 2008 while I'm here or if it moves forward simultaneously with this time.

I think about how my parents will feel if I suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth. How will Edward react? It isn't fair to let everyone I care about suffer like this.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" Edward asks, his voice laced with concern.

I shake my head. I am definitely _not_ okay. Why did I come back here? Will my Edward forgive me for this? I can feel the tears brimming in my eyes.

"Does your head hurt? You should go and rest – "

I shake my head again.

"Please Edward? Can you please play the song again?"

He eyes me like I've lost my mind but complies anyway, sitting back down on the bench. He scoots over a little and pats the bench, indicating for me to sit down.

I sit down next to him, careful to keep some space between us, unlike how I usually sit with vampire Edward.

He flexes his fingers and starts to play after a deep breath. The melody is beautiful, almost haunting when memories of the first time I stepped into Edward's bedroom flood my mind.

The song drifts to the end eventually, and it morphs over a bridge into a song that I thought I'd never hear while I am here. My hand flies up over my mouth as I gasp. It's my lullaby!

**A/N: And that's it! Sorry this update took so long. College has been more hectic than I'd expected. As always, tell me how this chapter is in the review :) **

**And if you realize, I've changed the tense for this chapter. Let me know if you prefer the past tense or the present tense. **

**Also, follow me on twitter if you have an acc! My user is rpatzbswan**

**Next update: within 3 weeks!**


	3. He's got a girlfriend now

Chapter #03: He's got a girlfriend now

_Now he's got a girlfriend and I have a rock band_

'_Cause nothing really ever goes the way it's planned_

_Yeah he's in Ohio and I'm on some back road_

_Driving to the city and then who knows?_

'_Cause that's all she wrote_

_I wish that I could turn this car around_

_But he's got a girlfriend now ~ BLG_

BPOV

Edward stops playing when he senses me tense. "What's wrong?"

"T-that song," I choke out. "What song is that?"

"You mean this?" he asks and starts playing the song again. The familiar haunting melody echoes through the otherwise silent room and...changes into something foreign.

My whole body sags with relief when I realize it's not my lullaby. Maybe that's where the inspiration came from.

Edward stops playing again, though it's clear that the song is nowhere near its end.

I look at him questioningly. "Why did you stop playing?"

"I've only composed it till there. I haven't managed to find any inspiration for it in a while," he admits. He looks so young and boyish that I have an urge to ruffle his bronze hair even if it has been plastered down with pomade. Why did he put that horrible substance on his hair anyway?

"Shall we go?" he asks, standing up and offering me his hand.

"Go? Where?"

"Your surprise," he says, his eyes twinkling.

I take his hand. "Okay."

He gives me a crooked smile as we leave the room. My heart skips a beat as I feel my insides melt. Will I ever cease to be affected this way by him?

"Please tell me you didn't spend any thing on this 'surprise'," I say, mainly to change the subject. I will my heart to stop racing because I'm sure he can feel the speed of my pulse where our hands intertwine.

"It's absolutely free," he replies. "Will it bother you if I did?"

"I don't like people spending money on me," I admit with a small smile.

Edward looks surprised again. This is what - the third time I've surprised him in the span of a day? Am I not acting like people in the 1900s should?

"What's the matter?"

He shakes his head. "You don't react the way most people do. I find it very..."

"Disconcerting? Weird?"

"Unusual."

Okay. At least he doesn't think I'm strange! Besides, being unusual is not necessarily a bad thing...right?

"In a good way or bad?" I ask, almost fearful of his answer.

"I haven't decided yet," he admits.

"Well, tell me when you do," I smile. Undecided is good. For now. "Besides, a certain someone keeps reminding me I'm unlike anyone he's ever known."

An unfathomable expression appears on his face. Not wanting to answer any questions that may come up, I distract him. "So...where's my surprise?"

"Hmm? Oh. Your surprise...is a tour of my house. It's quite big and I don't want you getting lost in it."

"Ha ha," I roll my eyes at him. "Shall we get on with the tour? Or would you rather go on about my lack of directional sense?"

"The latter actually sounds more interesting -" he says teasingly and I whack him across the arm playfully.

"Stop it!" I say, unable to keep the smile off my face.

He rubs his arm. "Ow," he says in protest, looking at me with disbelief as if he can't believe I actually hit him. I admit it's quite refreshing to know that I can really hurt Edward now. Physically, I mean.

"Come on! What's our first destination?"

He takes my hand again and leads me up a set of stairs. He opens the door nearest to the landing and gestures for me to enter first. Edward flips the light switch on and I gasp.

"This is the biggest library in the house," he says as I take in the shelves and shelves of books.

"The biggest? You have more than one library in the house?" I don't even know why I am so surprised - his house is gigantic!

He nods. "Three, actually."

My fingertips brush against the books lightly as I read the titles. _Original classics_. This is a collector's dream come true.

"I think I've found my favorite place in your house, Mr Masen," I tell him as I walk back to him at the door to the haven of books. He has an amused smile plastered across his face, with one corner of his mouth tilting up just a little higher than the other.

I cock my head to the side. "What's so funny?"

He shakes his head. "It's nothing. Shall we continue with the tour? Or would you rather spend the evening in the library?"

I take his hand once more and we move on to another area of the house. Books are so insignificant compared to spending time with Edward.

How much time do I have left with him before he loses the battle against the Spanish Influenza? What date is it in 1918 anyway? I want to smack myself hard on my head for forgetting to enquire about such an important detail.

"Edward? I know this may sound really weird and you may think I'm crazy or something but...what's the date today?"

He stops walking and turns around to face me.

"Are you sure you're all right? I should call the doctor -"

"What date is it today?" I grab his arm, forcing him to stop.

Out of nowhere Luke appears and wrenches my arm away from Edward's.

"Luke!" Edward admonishes, looking absolutely furious. "What did I tell you about laying your hands on a lady?"

"But Sir -"

"Take your hand off her!" Edward orders. There is a chilling look on his face, and I'm relieved that I am not on the receiving end of his fury. Is it even possible that human Edward is scarier than vampire Edward?

Luke drops my hand and steps away from me. "Sorry, Sir," he tells Edward as he throws me a filthy look.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I say through gritted teeth.

He narrows his eyes at me like he doesn't believe that I'm okay. Jeez. Luke didn't even grab me that hard and I only have a minor headache!

One that is getting steadily worse, my subconscious tells me, but I ignore it.

"Don't follow us," he orders Luke coldly.

"But Sir –"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Edward says warningly as he leads me away.

"You never answered my question," I point out once we are clear of the creepy servant.

"It's the 1st of September today," he finally answers my question. His expression changes into one of concern, but I hardly register that.

Horror hits me like a tsunami, rooting my feet to the marble floor. The blood in my veins freeze as a very unpleasant chill trickles down my spine. Edward gets the flu in July, 1918. If it's September now and he's still human...

"Miss Swan? What's wrong?"

I grip his arm as he tries to shake a reaction out of me.

"Edward, what year is it today?"

Please tell me I'm wrong. Please let me be dreaming. _Please_.

"1917."

"Oh God," I choke. I am a year early. My Edward will have to wait a year before I return. Oh God. My knees grow weak.

"Miss Swan, are you -"

"I'm fine!" I interrupt, clutching at the front of his shirt to steady myself.

"Bullshit! I'll bring you back to your room. Damn, I'm so stupid for thinking you're okay after that fall," he mutters to himself as he takes my hand and drags me along with him.

My head starts to spin as the pounding starts to intensify. I lean heavily on Edward as he continues to pull me along with him.

"The room is spinning," I gasp. I feel disoriented as the walls and furniture keep circling around me.

"Hold on, Miss Swan. It's just a little bit further," he says as he clasps his arms tighter around me.

I try, but the spinning walls are not helping matters and the marble floor looks closer to my face than it is supposed to be.

"Wait. Let me sit down for a while," I tell him when the spinning finally becomes too much for me to handle. I feel like throwing up, and the last thing I want is to vomit all over him.

"Oh fuck this," Edward says and swings me up into his arms. Damn, I've missed these arms, even if they're not pale, hard and cold like the ones I am accustomed to.

My brain conjures up a memory - Edward was carrying me like this on the day we had to do blood typing in Biology.

My vision starts to blur as a darkness that is becoming too familiar for comfort closes in. I raise my hand to brush a strand of his fringe which has successfully defied the pomade away from his eyes. My fingertips trail down his cheek.

"You look exactly the same," I whisper as I fight against the darkness threatening to consume me.

"What?" Edward says, not comprehending.

I try to formulate an answer but I lose the battle against remaining conscious, and even Edward's arms are not enough to keep me from falling...

O.o.O

Cold, clammy hands are prodding my head. They shift to my throat and then to my wrist.

"How is she, doctor?"

It's Edward's voice! Am I back in my own time?

"Her pulse is steady. Didn't I tell you that she needs to rest?" the doctor says somewhat scolding-ly. Wait. The voice is very familiar. Too familiar. I know I've heard this person's voice before.

"It was a poor judgment on my part. She said she was fine, but I should have known better."

"Make sure she gets sufficient rest this time. Oh and give her these if her headache persists. These will help with the pain."

"This is aspirin, right?"

"Yes. Tell her to take them when necessary. If she experiences any more dizziness, she should come down to the hospital immediately."

"I'll make sure of that. Thank you, doctor. I'll ask someone to see you out," Edward tells him.

Footsteps. The door shuts. More footsteps. A chair scrapes against the floor boards. Silence.

I know Edward is sitting beside my bed. I can feel him even in my sub-conscious state. Every nerve in my body screams at me to wake up - to shake him senseless and ask him to tell me this is a horribly realistic dream. Consciousness drifts above me, just out of reach.

Darkness closes in slowly, sucking me into its vortex...

.

Heels click against the wooden floor. Something scrapes against the bedside table. A soft hand swipes at my forehead and my neck. I am awake, but my eyelids feel like they have been sewed shut.

I force my eyes open like one would rip a band-aid off. Light assaults my eyes. Shit! I throw my hand up over my eyes to shield them from the light.

"Miss, are you awake?"

"Yeah," I croak. Jeez, my mouth is parched. I sit up once my eyes adjust to the brightness. "Where's Edward?"

"Mr Masen is at school, Miss. He will return sometime in the afternoon," she says as she hands me a glass of water. I sip it gratefully. Damn, it's the best water I've ever tasted!

"Your breakfast is over here, Miss," Thia gestures to the bedside table, and inside the drawer you can find some aspirin. The doctor said to take it for the pain. Oh and your dresses have been altered. They are in the closet. Will there be anything else?"

I vaguely remember touring the house with Edward and feeling dizzy and...crap!

"Thia? What year is it?"

She eyes me like I'm crazy but she answers anyway. "It's 1917, Miss."

I nod, feeling my hopes being crushed instantly. I'd hoped what Edward told me was a figment of my imagination. Or a hallucination.

"And what date is it today?"

"The third of September. You've been unconscious for just over a day."

I nod again, unable to say anything else. My mouth feels horribly dry again.

"Will there be anything else?"

I shake my head.

Thia looks concerned but she doesn't say anything and exits.

Crap. I am stuck in 1917. How do I go back? After Edward is changed during the Spanish Influenza, how do I return to 2008? Does time freeze in 2008 while I'm here?

Damn it, I have so many questions and there's no one to provide answers! I curse Jake angrily, even though I'm partially at fault.

I clutch my head in my hands. I'm in such deep shit.

O.o.O

There is a knock on my door. Damn it, I can't reach one of the buckles on the back of the dress Mrs Masen has lent me. The person raps thrice on the door again. I throw my hands in the air, officially giving up.

"It's unlocked!" I call to the person behind the door.

I feel him before I see him. My skin starts tingling, not in an unpleasant way.

"Hey," I acknowledge Edward, turning around.

"Glad to see you're awake. But you really shouldn't be out of bed." His eyes rake down my body slowly. I cock my head to the side, waiting for him to finish his assessment. His eyes linger at the neckline of the dress.

"Are you going to be wearing this dress out?" he asks, his eyes still at the neckline.

"I suppose. It's pretty, don't you think?" The dress is white and made of a soft flow-y material. The neckline stops a quarter-way down my chest, showing just a hint of cleavage.

"The neckline is a little too low, but otherwise, yes, it looks nice on you."

I raise an eyebrow at his comment. The neckline is too low? I scoff internally. If only he could see the dresses I wore for homecoming and prom!

"It's a modest enough dress." I walk up to him and turn around.

"Do you mind doing up that last buckle for me? I can't seem to reach it." I shift my hair over one shoulder and turn my head slightly to see his reaction.

He stares at my back for a while before swallowing. "Sure."

His fingers trail lightly down my neck before inching down my back where he takes the strap and attaching it for me.

"Done." His voice is low, sensual and his eyes are dark.

_Holy shit._

"Go back to bed. I'll ask someone to bring dinner up for you later."

"I'm fine, Edward. I don't need to stay in bed all day."

"It wasn't a request," he snaps, irritated.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" I retort. Jeez, what's wrong with him?

"Damn it, will you do as you're told?"

"No fucking way!" I shout at him, and wince as my head starts pounding.

He gasps. I'm not sure if it's from my swearing or from my wince.

"Go to bed, Bella Swan! I'm not going to say it again," he says threateningly. His tone scares me. He is definitely scarier than vampire Edward.

Throwing him the most scathing look I can manage, I head back toward the bed.

"Get out."

"What?" he looks shocked. Shocked as hell.

"Get out of the room unless you want to watch me change," I say as evenly as I can and start reaching for the straps on my back.

Two seconds later, I hear the door shut behind me. I drop my hands immediately and plop down on the mattress. This Edward somehow manages to infuriate me every time he speaks. Well, almost, I correct myself, remembering the tour of the house.

I put my head in my hands. I want my Edward back. I don't want to be in 1917 anymore. And I sure as hell don't want to be stuck in this suffocating room for another second.

With a new found determination, I stride purposefully out of the room. Now which way is it to the library? I vaguely remember the route Edward and I took yesterday. I head downstairs, feeling ridiculously like a fugitive. My heels click loudly against the marble floor. Shit.

Once my feet are safely on the ground floor, I look frantically around for any sign of a bronze halo of hair. Relief floods my nerves. No sign of Edward.

Quickly, I retrace our steps from yesterday and within minutes, I find myself outside the library. Taking a deep breath to steady my heart, I push the doors open. Shelves and shelves of classics surround me as I step further into the dim cozy room. I want to cheer and jump up and down like a giddy school girl.

Brushing my fingertips over the thick books, I pick one at random and slide it off the shelf. I raise my eyebrow at the boom. Anne Karenina. Interesting. I've read the plot before back in Phoenix, but I haven't gotten round to reading it yet.

I plop down on the nearest plush chair and crack open the book. It looks and feels almost new. I am about to flip to the first chapter when I hear the dinner bell ring. Sighing, I place the book on the coffee table before leaving the library.

It doesn't take long for Edward to discover I'm not in the room. I hear footsteps behind me and a warm hand grasps mine as I descend the stairs.

"I thought you agreed to stay in bed," he says quietly. Too quietly.

_Oh no_.

"I didn't agree to anything, Edward," I remind him. From the corner of my eye, I can see him purse his lips.

He drops my hand the moment my two feet are firmly on the ground. Wordlessly, he stalks off toward the dining room. I roll my eyes and follow him. His tendency to overreact and blow things widely out of proportion definitely hasn't changed a bit.

He pulls out my chair for me despite his less than friendly feelings toward me, always the perfect gentleman.

"Thank you," I say murmur. He nods, but doesn't say anything.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" Mr Masen asks once everyone has settled down into their seats.

"I'm feeling okay. As long as I'm not agitated," I incline my head in Edward's direction minutely, "I should be good."

Mrs Masen laughs good-naturedly, correctly interpreting my unspoken comment. "Yes, my son can be a pain up the arse sometimes," she agrees.

"Mom! Your language!" Edward says disapprovingly, though a ghost of a smile appears on his lips.

"Shush, Edward. Bella, will you be well enough to attend a charity gala this weekend? We are hosting it."

A charity gala? Hosted by the Masens? Hmm.

"I'd be happy to," I reply honestly. "Will I need a date?"

"I'll be more than happy to bring you myself, Miss Swan," Edward cuts in.

I gulp. Is he asking me out?

"Why Edward, I'd be -"

"Edward, aren't you taking Sophie Ray to the gala?" Mrs Masen interrupts me.

Sophie Ray? Who in the world is Sophie Ray? Is she Edward's _girlfriend_? Edward blinks at his mother, astonished.

"Who is Sophie Ray?" I ask, directing the question to no one in particular.

Now, Elizabeth blinks at me. She looks surprised. Or even shocked. "Edward didn't tell you? Sophie is Edward's fiancé."

O.o.O

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**Sorry again for the extremely late update! Hope this chapter makes up for it. I'll be replying to reviews some time this week after my exams. **

**As ever, let me know what you think. **

**~ XOXO DILK**


	4. Tell Me Lies

Chapter #04: Tell Me Lies

'_Cause I don't wanna know if I kissed your lips for the last time_

_Please don't say if it's so, tell my heart it's not goodbye_

_And do this one thing for me, make up some stupid story tonight_

_It's all right, keep your truth and tell me lies ~ Ashley Tisdale_

BPOV

Edward has a fiancée. He has a goddamn fiancée! Why didn't he mention this before?

"Oh, I see. Thanks for asking anyway, Edward. I'm sure I'll be able to find someone to take me to the charity gala," I smile blandly at him. My empty stomach twists and I feel like throwing up. Why the hell am I in Edward's past again?

"Mom, don't overstate things. Sophie is not my fiancée. Technically," he adds, gritting his teeth. Turning to me he says, "I can introduce you to a few of my friends at school. I'm sure one of them will be more than happy to take you to the gala."

What the hell?

"I can get my own date, Edward," I say icily.

An awkward silence fills the room. I stare angrily at my plate. What did I expect? Of course Edward has a fiancé. Why wouldn't he? He's eligible in every sense of the word!

"Let's start eating, shall we?" Mr Masen clears his throat in an attempt to dispel the tension at the table.

Luke steps forward. "Sir, the doctor is on the line. He wants to know how Miss Swan is feeling."

Mr Masen pauses, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Dr Cullen? Oh tell him Miss Swan is feeling better."

I feel the blood drain from my face. The spoon I was holding clutters back on to the porcelain plate. Edward halts Luke immediately.

"Miss Swan? Are you all right? Maybe I should call Doctor Cullen to come over to check on you." Concern is evident on Mr Masen's face.

"You should go back to bed, dear. I'll get Beth to send you some food later," Mrs Masen suggests.

"Did you say Doctor Cullen?" I ask, hoping my ears aren't deceiving me. I feel like banging my head against the wall. How could I have forgotten about Carlisle being here?

"Yes. He was the doctor we called over to examine you. Is something wrong? You look very pale," Mr Masen adds.

"No, I'm fine. Please excuse me," I say hurriedly as I practically bolt from the dining table. Carlisle must have a way to get me out of the mess I've made.

I hear the tap of expensive shoes against the marble floor before I feel him. What in the world does he want now?

"Why are you following me, Edward?"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see Carlisle," I tell him with a 'duh' tone. Isn't it obvious where I'm headed to?

"Who?" he asks, confused. Oh of course. I doubt he'd be on first name terms with Carlisle.

"Doctor Carlisle Cullen," I clarify. I lift my dress slightly to avoid stepping on the hem as I quicken my pace.

"You know him?"

"He is... an old friend." There. He doesn't need to know all the gory details.

"Miss Swan, wait." He grasps my arm to stop me from walking.

"What is it?" I say, exasperated. Why does he keep meddling in my affairs?

"Firstly, you're heading in the wrong direction. The front door is that way," he gestures in the direction where we came from. "And secondly, do you even know how to get to the hospital? And which hospital he works at for that matter?"

Crap. He's right. Carlisle's never mentioned the name of the hospital he used to work at.

Edward gives me a smug smile which pisses me off. I feel like slapping that smile off his face! Or maybe licking it off would be a better choice... I shake my head to wipe the image out of my head. Where the fuck did that come from?

"So what do you propose I do, Mr smart ass?"

Instead of becoming pissed as hell as I am, he throws his head back in laughter. This irks me even more.

"Smart ass? Oh Miss Swan, you never cease to amaze me with the words you use," he shakes his head.

I try hard – and I mean _really_ hard – to stop myself from laughing with him, but I can't. His laughter is infectious. He looks so young and boyish.

"I'm still mad at you," I say.

"I know." He runs his fingers through his hair. God, I feel like running my fingers through them as well. His hair looks so soft...

I can feel my face start to flame at my less than appropriate thoughts so I return to the matter at hand.

"Where does Carlisle work?"

"I'll take you there after you finish your dinner," he says softly, coaxingly.

"I have to go now," I insist. I can't stay here a second longer. Not without knowing what will happen in my own time. To _my_ Edward.

"Please, Miss Swan," he urges, unleashing the full force of his gaze on me. Dammit, this is so fucking unfair. Why does he still affect me this way?

With great effort, I turn away from his forest green eyes and stare at the ground. "I have to go."

I shrug my hand out of his and start walking in the direction he gestured. Maybe I can ask Luke or one of the Masens' many servants to take me there. Surely one of them will know about Carlisle.

"Why?" Edward asks as he catches up with me in a second. "Why now? What's so important that you have to see the doctor right now?"

"I can't tell you that," I whisper.

We walk straight past the dining room and into a large foyer like area. The front door is cream colored with a brass knob. I pull on it, expecting it to be locked. The door swings open, surprising me.

"Which hospital is it?" I ask, shivering slightly. Jeez. It's cold out tonight.

"Miss Swan, I -"

"Look I'm going to do this with or without your help. Though without it will take much longer."

"Wait here. I'll grab my keys," he relents.

Edward returns a few minutes later, a black coat draped over one arm. He's wearing a similar one over his shoulders.

"Here," he says, and helps me with the coat. It is unmistakably his - his sweet, sweet fragrance engulfs the entire coat. "I don't want you to catch a cold. It's chilly outside tonight."

He cares! About me! Suddenly, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And with those feelings comes the guilt. Guilt for feeling like this because of Edward. He is not _my_ Edward. It feels like I'm betraying him by allowing myself to feel this way.

"Let's go," I say and step outside into the cold night. There are several vehicles in the front yard. I see two Model T Fords and three Chevrolets. Which car are we taking? And why in the world does he need so many cars anyway?

Edward takes my hand and leads me to one of the Model-T's. A sleek black 2-door sedan. Okay, question answered. Vaguely, I wonder if his fiancé has ridden in his car before.

Well of course she has! Which girlfriend hasn't sat in her boyfriend's car at least once? My sub-conscious scoffs at me. Perfect.

I open the door to the passenger side and slide in. Edward pauses at my side of the car for a while before going round to the driver's side. His lips are pursed. Now what?

He starts the car and we're off. I raise my eyebrow at the speed we're going. He's driving at the same speed as my Chevy back home!

"What's with the speed?" I tease him.

"Too fast for you, Miss Swan?" he matches my tone.

Fast? He's got to be kidding me. "I believe I've seen cars that go faster than this."

He raises an eyebrow. "That's hardly possible, Miss Swan. This is the fastest the car can go, and this is one of the newest cars in the market."

What? Oh shit! I want to smack myself on the forehead again. Of course! 40 miles an hour was considered fast back in the early 20th century. Oops.

"Oh. It doesn't feel that fast," I say lamely.

"Huh."

As I look out of the window, I feel my whole body tingle. Every nerve in my body wills me to reach across and make contact with his skin. The car is rather small, and my thigh is just inches from his. The electricity between us is palpable.

I peek at him from the corner of my eye. Edward doesn't seem to be feeling what I feel. His fingers are gripping the steering wheel without unnecessary force and he looks almost...relaxed. It's the exact opposite of what I feel.

He doesn't feel it. My heart clenches at the realization.

I bite my lip and force myself to look away. Damn it. Why does this hurt so much?

The car turns into a rather crowded driveway and Edward pulls over. "We're here," he murmurs.

Cook County Hospital. Hmm. I start to get out of the car.

"Don't move," he orders and I freeze.

"What's wrong?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he gets out of the car and walks over to my side with unconscious grace. Damn it. It's just what I need – a reminder of how undeserving I am of this man, human or vampire.

He opens the car door on my side and holds out his hand to me, offering to help me get out.

I roll my eyes but take his hand anyway. "I can get out of the car myself, Edward."

"I know you can," he says in an annoyed sort of tone. "I'm trying to be a gentleman here."

I snort. "You don't have to try. You already are."

"Why, is that a compliment, Miss Swan?" I can hear the smile in his voice.

"I believe so, Mr Masen," I smile at him.

With that, he takes my hand again and leads me into the hospital.

Cook County Hospital is pretty much just like any other hospital in the 21st century. Except, of course, that we have, well, much better technology and facilities.

"Excuse me. We're looking for Doctor Cullen. Is he busy at the moment?" Edward says to one of the receptionists.

The girl, who looks around my age, blinks and gapes at him, her mouth falling open. Every nerve in my being urges me to tell her to back off but I resist. After all, he's well...not mine.

She blinks twice more before she registers that we are waiting for her to divulge some information. "Doctor Cullen? Uh... Yes, he's in his office at the moment. It's on the fifth storey," she adds, not acknowledging my presence at all.

"Thank you," he says softly, his voice unintentionally seductive. The girl flushes but keeps her eyes on him as he walks away from the desk.

"Okay you can go back now. I'll go home once I'm done," I tell him. Home... It feels weird to call that mansion 'home'. Home is where _my_ Edward is. Back in present day Forks.

"Don't be ridiculous, Miss Swan. I'll wait for you outside Doctor Cullen's office. Surely that's enough privacy for you?" His tone is chilling, bordering on spiteful. Jeez. What's with him?

"Suit yourself. I don't know how long this will take though," I warn him as we head over to the elevators.

O.o.O

Edward makes a big show of looking disgruntled as he settles down into one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area. I can feel my heart thumping in my throat as I approach his office. Why the hell am I so nervous?

I rap thrice on the wooden door. "Come in," Carlisle's voice comes through the door. Swallowing, I twist the knob and let myself in.

I gasp once the door is firmly shut behind me. Carlisle looks exactly the same. His blond hair, the blue eyes, the model worthy face...

Holy crow. If I hadn't met Edward first, I sure as hell would have one heck of a crush on this hot shot doctor.

I take a deep breath to dispel my nervousness. I don't have anything to be nervous about. I know Carlisle would never do anything to harm me.

"Can I help you?" he asks gently. He looks concerned. Ha! He thinks I'm here because of my head injury. Well, he is going to get one hell of a shock.

"I know what you are."

Carlisle raises an eyebrow. "You know what I am?" To anyone else, his act would seem genuine – that he truly doesn't have a clue of what I'm talking about. I know better, though. A flash of suspicion appears momentarily in his eyes but he smoothes it away quickly.

"Yes, I do."

"You mean you know who I am," Carlisle corrects me, smiling, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"No, I mean I know what you are, Carlisle. You work nights at this hospital because you can't go out in the sun. Your skin sparkles like a thousand diamonds if you do. You don't eat or drink anything except for animal blood."

I pause briefly, looking at him to assess his reaction. He looks surprised. Wary as well.

I don't give him a chance to recover. "You were born in London in the 1640s to an Anglican pastor. You were attacked by a vampire in the streets when you were twenty-three. You hid in a cellar, buried under rotting potatoes for three days while you changed."

I look up at him again. His face is ashen. He sits down on his chair, fighting for composure. He won't lose control...will he?

I take a deep breath and continue. "You tried to destroy yourself after that. Guess that didn't work out," I tell him dryly, gesturing at him.

A glimmer of a smile tugs at the corner or his mouth, as if he tried to fight it, but couldn't. Ah, there's the Carlisle I know.

"When you realized you could survive without human blood, you swam to France. There, you decided to pursue medicine. Need I go on?"

"I think you've said quite enough, Miss Swan," Carlisle says quietly. He stands up and walks slowly toward me. I hold my ground.

"You're not afraid of me?" he asks incredulously.

"Should I be?"

He shrugs.

"Look, Carlisle, I mean you no harm. I just need to ask you something. I need your help."

"Harm? What makes you think you can harm me?"

"Well I don't mean in the physical sense, obviously," I say defensively. Jeez. Why is Carlisle acting like this?

"So what's your idea of 'harming' me?" he is smiling now.

Wait. Is he amused by all this?

"I'm obviously not a threat to you, Carlisle. You can trust me."

He gazes at me, uncertainty in his eyes. A few tense seconds later, he sighs.

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Miss Swan. What is it you need?"

_Finally._

"You might want to sit down before I rehash the gory details," I warn him.

He eyes me like I've forgotten something important. I roll my eyes. Does he seriously think I've forgotten he's a vampire?

"I'm serious."

"I think, Miss Swan, after that bombshell you've dropped on me, I can handle pretty much just about anything," he says dryly. "So, what do you need from me?"

I take a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Carlisle, I'm Isabella Swan. I'm from the future."

He doesn't react like I expect him to. Huh. This is...surprising.

"I guessed as much. When I examined you the night before, you were wearing some strange apparel. I don't know how you fooled the Masens about your previous whereabouts but you sure as hell can't fool me."

"Okay. Anyway, in my time, I'm about to get married to Edward Masen. Only he isn't called Edward Masen anymore. He is Edward Cullen."

Carlisle gasps. "Edward Cullen?" he asks. "I don't –"

"You changed him, Carlisle. In 1918, he was dying. His parents were already dead and you desperately wanted companionship. Elizabeth Masen begged you to change him, so you did.

"Anyway, in 2008, my friend, Jake, he gave me this candle. A magic candle. I made a wish to come back to 1918. Only that didn't quite work out, because it's 1917 now."

Carlisle swallows with great difficulty as he blinks at me. "You made a wish. On a candle. And you came back in time. May I ask why?"

"I wanted to get to know Edward while he was human. I wanted to understand him better. Only now I'm stuck here for a longer time than I bargained for and I don't know what will happen in my time."

I can feel tears burning in my eyes. I try to hold them back but they start pouring down my face.

"I made a mistake, Carlisle. I should never have made that stupid wish. What if time doesn't freeze in 2008? What if Edward is waiting around for me to return? Oh God I'm so selfish! I didn't even think of all this before hand and I just jumped into it!"

I start sobbing into my hands as I sink down onto the floor. All my pent up fears and guilt is just too much to handle.

"Hey... It's okay," Carlisle murmurs soothingly as he pats my back awkwardly. His hands are cold.

"You wished to come back in time to get to know Edward right? Maybe that's all you have to do. Maybe once you've achieved that, you will be returned to your own time."

I wipe my nose with the back of my hand. "You really think so? And what if time doesn't freeze? What if it continues moving forward?"

"I can't do anything about that, Isabella. I can ask around and see what I find. You said you made a wish on a candle? Where did Jake get it?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. He's a werewolf. From the Quileute Tribe."

"You're friends with a werewolf? A child of the moon?" he asks incredulously. "And before, you mentioned that you were going to marry Edward even though he's a vampire?"

His eyebrows are raised so high that they look as if they might disappear into his hairline. I have to fight to not giggle at the thought.

"The werewolves aren't as dangerous as you think they are. And Edward has extraordinary self-control. Plus I love him."

Carlisle looks resignedly at me. "C'mon. Let's get you up."

He helps me up and hands me a handkerchief. It's soft and white. It even has his initials sewed on one edge.

"Thank you," I say gratefully.

He walks me to the door. I remember something. "Carlisle? Can I ask another favor from you?"

O.o.O

"Thanks for everything, Carlisle," I tell him as I leave his office. I feel lighter. Like a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"You're welcome, Isabella. I'll contact you once I have some information," he smiles warmly.

Edward all but rushes to me the moment I step out.

"Mr Masen," Carlisle nods at Edward.

"Doctor Cullen," Edward replies stiffly. I roll my eyes at their exchange. What's up with them? Jeez. I start heading downstairs.

Edward presses me for information immediately.

"So what did you and the good doctor talk about?"

"Stuff."

He catches my wrist and halts me in my tracks.

"What?" I snap at him.

"Have you been crying?" he demands to know, looking in the direction of Carlisle's office.

"Yes, but it had nothing to do with Carlisle," I tell him quickly before he decides to do anything rash. The thought of him going against Carlisle makes me shudder.

"And why did he call you Isabella?"

I sigh. "That's my full name, Edward. I prefer to be called Bella though."

And that reminds me. Why does he keep addressing me as 'Miss Swan'? Why can't he just call me by my name?

"Come." He drags me along with him.

I shrug my hand out of his once we're clear of the hospital.

"What now?" he asks in an irritated sort of way.

"Stop dragging me around like a child!"

Headlights flash and a horn blares loudly at me. I squeeze my eyes shut instinctively. What the hell?

"Bella!"

A hand yanks me back and I'm thrown against a hard wall of muscle.

"Are you all right?" Edward asks anxiously. He spins me around and steps back to check for injuries.

Hell, the car could have run me over and I wouldn't have noticed. He called my name! I want to jump up and down like it is Christmas.

"You said my name," I whisper.

He stares at me like he's unsure of how to react.

"Say it again," I say, almost pleadingly.

"Bella," he whispers. Oh God. How can he make my name sound so seductive?

"Again," I demand, closing the distance between us.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," he chants in my ear. And suddenly I don't care that he has a fiancée. I don't care that it is practically illegal and that I may be arrested. I throw my hands around him and crush myself against his chest. He is warm. So warm.

Tears leak from my already swollen eyes, stinging like fucking hell. He smells of apples, sandalwood and Edward. It is the same smell as _my_ Edward, just slightly less enhanced.

"Ssshhh. It's okay, Bella. I'm here. You're okay. You're safe," he murmurs against my hair.

For some reason, his words bring about a whole new round of tears. This Edward and _my _Edward are so different and yet the same. I know I love the Edward I left behind. But what about this Edward? They are the same person but it feels like I'm betraying one of them. How do I deal with this?

I realize I am probably staining his shirt with my tears. I pull away from him, immediately missing the contact and his heart thumping against my cheek. This Edward is alive.

"Your shirt," I tell him, half sobbing.

"I'll survive," he says dryly.

"Feel better?" he adds softly.

I shake my head. Technically, I am still in deep shit and I am confused as hell. Nothing has been resolved.

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. It's tempting. I can feel my fingers itch to join his.

"What can I do?"

_Nothing_. But I don't tell him that, of course.

"Let's eat ice cream."

Edward raises his eyebrow. "Ice cream? I know the perfect place."

O.o.O

He takes me to a small restaurant just a short drive from the hospital.

"Table for two?" the host asks Edward, practically eye fucking him.

Edward nods, flashing her a smile.

She flushes and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "Of course. This way, please."

She leads us to a small table in the back, not much different from the small ring of booths in Bella Italia back in Port Angeles.

She leans forward once we're seated, practically throwing her chest in front of Edward's face. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Aren't the girls in the 20th century supposed to be more reserved?

"Your server will be right out," she says too sweetly. I have to fight the urge to gag. Luckily she's blond. I don't know what I might do if she is a brunette.

Edward nods brusquely. The smile has vanished from his face.

"Now that was just plain rude," he remarks crossly.

Wow. This side of him really hasn't changed. _At all_.

I chuckle at his expression.

"What's so funny?" he asks curiously.

"You have to admit, the whole thing is quite funny. Not to mention entertaining."

"You mean entertaining for you, Miss Swan." One corner of his lips tugs up in a crooked smile. _My crooked smile_. It's appearance causes my heart to skip a beat.

"It's still rude though. Why can't the women respect themselves?" he grumbles.

What am I supposed to say to that? A waitress approaches our table, saving me from replying.

"Can I take your order?"

"Yes. We'll have two flank steaks, medium-rare with mash potatoes and some greens. Whatever your chef has today."

What the hell? Aren't we here for ice cream?

"Anything for you to drink, sir?" she flutters her eyelashes at him.

Back off, lady, he's _mine_. In the future, at least.

He looks at me. Oh now he decides to get my opinion. I glare at him.

"A glass of water," I snap.

"Two glasses of water," he tells her.

"I thought we are just eating ice cream," I hiss at him once the waitress is gone.

"You hardly touched your food, Miss Swan. Eating ice cream on an empty stomach? I don't think so."

"Seriously? We're back to 'Miss Swan' now? I thought we were past that already!"

He glares at me but doesn't reply. He is so infuriating!

We continue to stare each other down until the waitress returns with our water and meal.

"Took you long enough!" Edward snaps at her as he downs his water. The waitress blinks at him in shock. For a moment, I think she's about to cry, but she collects herself.

"Eat!" he snaps at me. What's his fucking deal?

I fold my arms, refusing to listen to him. Who does he think he is? My dad?

"For God's sake, Bella, please, eat. I don't want you to fall sick," he says softly.

Fine. At least he called me Bella. I pick up my knife and fork and start slicing through the juicy chunk of meat.

Edward visibly relaxes and he looks somewhat surprised. "That was easy."

We finish our dinner in silence, and finally, finally, he signals the waitress. Ice cream!

"Bella? Do what flavor do you want?" he asks as the waitress is walking over. I wonder if they have chocolate flavored ice cream yet.

"Chocolate," I grin. At least he is asking me instead of choosing for me.

He returns my smile. With a fucking panty-dropping smile. Oh God. I can feel my knees turning into jelly. Luckily I'm sitting down.

"Two chocolate ice creams. With the cone."

The waitress nods and clears our plates. She doesn't do anything more. Hmm. Maybe Edward's reaction has scared her off.

We take our cones and Edward fishes a five dollar bill from his wallet. "Keep the change," he tells the waitress who eyes the money in shock. Jeez. One would think she's never seen that much money in her life. Okay, maybe she hasn't. Five dollars was an insane amount of money in the past.

"I'll pay you back," I promise him as we head back to his car.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's just a meal," he rolls his eyes.

"Yes, it's just a meal. No big deal if I pay you my share of it," I shrug. Damn this ice cream is good!

"No, Isabella." His tone makes it clear that he won't hear another word of it.

O.o.O

Edward is gone when I wake up. Mrs Masen is outside somewhere settling some stuff about her charity gala and I have nothing to do. Quite frankly, I'm bored out of my mind. None of the hired help allow me to help them with the household chores and I don't feel like curling up in the library to read Anne Karenina in the day. It feels so...unproductive.

Maybe I should go out and get a job. Now is as good of a time as ever.

"Thia?" I call her while she's busy mending clothes. I think. She comes over to me immediately.

"I'm heading out for a while. Tell Mrs Masen or Edward that I'll be in town."

"Yes, Miss. Do you know the way?"

"I'll try and figure it out. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Miss." She nods and returns to her work.

It turns out that "town" really isn't that hard to get to. The roads are clearly marked and there are even sign boards. The only problem is that it's too damn far to walk! It took me a good hour just to walk from the house to the marketplace. The shops are further downtown.

Maybe it's time to invest in a car. Or I shall ask Edward to lend me one of his. The thought brings a smile to my face. I can almost imagine the look on his face when I do just that.

For the rest of the day I go around inquiring about job vacancies. There are job vacancies, but everyone kept telling me about how over or under qualified I am! It's just ridiculous!

It's almost dusk. Surely Edward will be home by now. Time to ask him about that car.

O.o.O

"Where have you been?" Edward yells at me the moment I step into the house.

"Yes, Edward, it's nice to see you too," I mutter sarcastically.

I sit down on one of the plush couches and pull my boots off. Oh the sweet, sweet relief!

"Don't start with me, Isabella Swan. Where were you?" He moves to stand in front of me.

I have to tilt my neck almost 90 degrees upward just to look at his face. Jeez. He is so tall!

"I was out. Looking for a job," I whisper. For some reason, I know he is going to blow up.

"What? You don't have to get a job, Bella. I can provide for you."

Seriously? Does this man even know what he is saying?

I stand up, ignoring the blisters on my sole. "Provide for me? Do you know what you're saying? You're just a kid! A sixteen year-old kid for God's sake!"

"I have money. You don't have to work under those horrible conditions and get under paid!" he roars.

"Look, we're not even friends, Edward. And even if we were, friends don't provide for each other!"

He blinks at me.

"Look, I'll find a reasonable paying job okay?"

"No. Stay at home," he murmurs.

"Don't be ridiculous. I need to work."

I look into his forest green eyes and sigh. It doesn't look like this conversation is going anywhere.

"Go to the gala with me," he changes the subject.

"Aren't you going with Sophie?" I ask in surprise. What's going on?

"I'm not. Anymore," he adds. He takes my hand and thumb rubs small circles on the back of it.

_Oh so that's it_.

"You're asking me because your date cancelled on you?" Tears spring to my eyes. What did you expect, Swan? Why would he choose you over his fiancée?

He hesitates. "Bella, I -"

"No. I'm not going to be your second choice." I pull my hand away from his. Pain laces my gut as the tears start falling.

"Goodnight, Edward."

O.o.O

**A/N: Okay, so it's not really a cliffy this time. How was the chapter? I've gotten about 10 reviews for the previous chapter that's why this chapter is up so early. See? Reviews make me extremely happy.**

**Anyway, can we have 15 reviews for this chapter? If we get that, next chapter will be up within the next week. **

**Show me some love, and let me know what you think. **

**XOXO, DILK**


	5. What If

Chapter #05: What If

_But what if I need you baby_

_Would you even try to save me?_

_Or would you find some lame excuse to never be true?_

_What if I said I loved you?_

_Would you even try to run to?_

_Or would you watch me walk away without a fight? ~ Ashley Tisdale_

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

I return home disappointed for the third day in a row. Everyone has offered me the same excuse for the past three days. It's like they can't even be bothered to come up with a more creative one.

The only reasonably paid job I can find in town is being a seamstress but damn, I can't sew to save my life! I sigh, realizing that I have to resort to finding work at the hospital, maybe even needing Carlisle to do me another favor and pull some strings. Dammit, where're the minimum wage and women's rights when you need it?

One of the Masens' many servants is standing at the front door, waiting to usher me in. He looks very young, two years older than me at most, and has a friendly smile on his face. I nod at him politely as I enter the house.

I pull my boots off the moment I'm in the foyer. I really need a pair of flats. I don't think my feet can take this much torture for much longer.

"Get me a glass of water." A voice that I really don't want to hear comes from behind me.

I turn around in the direction of his voice reflexively.

Edward steps into the foyer and halts in his tracks when he sees me. We haven't talked since the day he asked me to be his date for the charity gala.

Okay, maybe I overreacted. I should have given him a chance to explain. Maybe I wasn't his second choice. Maybe he told Sophie Ray that he wanted to take me instead.

My sub-conscious sneers at me. Do you _really_ think he'll choose you over his fiancée? Someone who is probably pretty and in his league?

And as much as I want to deny it, I know that my sub-conscious is correct.

Edward runs a hand through his hair and averts his eyes from me. I take that as a cue for me to leave.

"Miss Swan, wait."

_What can he possibly want now?_

I cock my head to the side, waiting for him to continue speaking.

He sighs. "I didn't mean to insinuate that the reason I asked you to accompany me to the gala is because I don't have a date. Believe me, if I didn't want to take you to the gala, I wouldn't have asked you at all."

Is he trying to tell me that he wants me to go with him, and not just because his fiancée is possibly not attending?

He looks up from a spot on the pristine marble floor and gazes at me. For the first time since I've met him - human Edward, that is - he looks vulnerable.

"I really want you to accompany me to the charity gala. Will you agree to be my date?"

His forest green eyes burn into my dull brown ones. He steps forward, reaching down to take my hand. A warm current hums where our fingers touch, causing me to gasp involuntarily.

Every nerve in my body screams at me to say 'yes' and put the guy out of his misery but I can't.

"I'd be more than delighted to accompany you, Edward, but I can't."

Hurt flashes momentarily across his face.

"What do you mean you can't? Of course you can. There's nothing holding you back."

"I can't, Edward, because I already have a date. Somebody has already asked me," I reply. Technically, this isn't true. I asked him to be my date.

"What?" he raises his voice, so that he's practically shouting at me.

I blink at him, shocked by his outburst.

"Who? When was this?" Anger is evident in his tone.

"Four days ago," I whisper.

He frowns and realization dawns upon him.

"The doctor?" he hisses through his teeth.

I nod imperceptibly, my eyes wide. Why is he so angry? I have every right to pick another date to the gala.

He mumbles something I cannot make out under his breath.

"Edward, I -"

He starts walking away, and because he hasn't let go of my hand yet, I'm forced to follow him.

"Edward, what -"

He interrupts me again as we enter the parlor and he thrusts the telephone into my face.

"Call the doctor."

"What?"

He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Call him to cancel, Isabella."

"Why should I do that?" I ask him indignantly. Sheesh. What's his fucking deal now?

"Isabella," he says warningly. His eyes flash in a menacing kind of way.

I wrench my hand out of his grasp, ignoring every nerve in my being that yells at me to put my hand back in his.

"No! I'm not going to do it! Stop being so fucking unreasonable, Masen. I asked him to be my date, and I sure as hell am not about to go back on my word!"

"You asked him?" he whispers, his face ashen.

"Yes, I did," I snap, too angry to care if I'm hurting his feelings.

He steps back. Immediately, I see a change in his demeanor. He is cold and distant.

"In that case, I'll see you at the event then, Miss Swan."

_Shit_. Even his tone is cold and clipped. He nods and walks away.

His hurt expression haunts me but I don't dwell on it. There is a charity gala tomorrow and I don't have anything appropriate to wear.

The friendly looking servant from before steps into the parlor just as I'm about to look for Mrs Masen.

I decide to ask him for her possible whereabouts instead of hunting up and down the massive house.

"Excuse me," I say tentatively.

He spins around to face me immediately. "Yes, Miss?"

"Do you know where Mrs Masen is?"

O.o.O

All thanks to Mrs Masen and Thia, I have a beautiful midnight blue dress to wear to the gala.

I feel almost pretty in the dress. It's an ankle length dress, the hem decorated with delicate black lace and sequins. Black heels borrowed from Mrs Masen completes the outfit.

I look at my reflection in the vanity mirror once more. Black mascara? Check. Strawberry Lipgloss? Check. I have left my hair down instead of pinning it up like women in this era do.

I grab the elbow length sheer black satin gloves before I leave my room. I am slipping them on when I spot a bronze halo of hair at the foot of the staircase.

Edward is wearing a black tux, his hair in a complete disarray and is standing with his back facing the staircase.

I grab the banister with one hand, lift the hem of my dress with the other and slowly begin my descent in the death traps I am wearing. My heart pounds hard against my ribcage. Jeez. Why am I so nervous? It's just Edward.

The clicks of my heels against the marble stairs alert Edward to my presence. He whirls around and stares at me. My heart stops.

Even from where I am standing, he looks breathtakingly beautiful, despite the absence of that otherworldly beauty. His forest green eyes are blazing, steadily turning darkening and his full pink lips are slightly parted.

After a beat, I resume my descent, keeping my eyes locked on his. He swallows, but doesn't look away either. I reach the bottom stair, but I can't continue because Edward is blocking my path.

He looks even more beautiful up close. His perfect angular cheekbones, the strong jawline, straight nose and lips that look so, so soft. I wonder idly how it will feel to kiss them. Will it be like kissing vampire Edward?

A throat clears. Edward's. I flush, realizing that I've been caught checking him out. He cocks his head to the side, a smile tugging at one corner of his lips. He lifts a hand and brushes the back of it across my cheek. I feel my cheeks flame more under his gaze.

He drops his hand and takes mine, helping me down the last stair.

"You look stunning, Isabella," he murmurs, placing a kiss on the back of my gloved hand.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself. Except..." I smirk.

He drops my hand and takes a step back, looking down at his clothes. "Except what?"

I shake my head and step forward, helping him to straighten his bow tie. He lifts his chin while I do so, like a small boy. God, he's so adorable at times.

"There. All done," I smile and look up at him. My breath hitches.

I'm standing closer to him than I realized, my lips inches from his. I tear my gaze away from his full lips and look up into his eyes. His forest green eyes have darkened, the golden flecks in them almost black. His gaze falls to my lips.

He steps forward as his hands come up around my waist. He looks up at me, assessing my reaction.

Do I want him to kiss me? There is a small part inside me screaming for me to step away, that it is wrong to feel like this for this Edward. Is it really though? Human Edward and vampire Edward. They're both the same person. Both with the same soul, impossible to differentiate and tear apart.

I tilt my head up, answering his unspoken question. The warm current I've grown accustomed to courses through me where we touch. His chest is so warm. And hard.

I see a flash of relief in his eyes, followed by the darkening of his already smoldering forest green. The golden flecks are entirely black now. His eyes slip shut, prompting mine to do so as well, and his lips brush across mine.

This brings back a flood of memories of my first kiss with vampire Edward. I react in the exact same way, gasping against his lips and my fingers grabbing at his locks. I'm glad it isn't plastered down with pomade.

I am about to start my assault on his lips when a throat clears. Edward leaps away from me hastily.

Luke, the creepy stalker-ish servant steps into our line of vision, looking very displeased. _Shit_. He has more sense than to go blabbering to Mrs Masen about what he saw right? I'll be skinned alive if he tattles to her, that's for sure.

I take a deep breath and will my heart to stop pounding against my chest. My lips still burn from where his lips touched mine.

I chance a peek at Edward. I turn way immediately, wishing I didn't. He looks absolutely furious, almost shaking with fury as he stares the servant down. An unpleasant chill runs down my spine at his expression.

He takes a step toward Luke. Faint knocks on the front door startle the hell out of me. I am about to get the door when the friendly servant from yesterday darts in front of me and pulls the door open.

In Carlisle steps, looking dashing in a charcoal tux. His hair is plastered down with pomade but he still looks as if he's just stepped out the latest GQ magazine.

He grins when he sees me, taking my hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

"You look very pretty tonight, Isabella." He winks at me.

I giggle at his obvious attempt to test Edward's reaction. I raise an eyebrow at him, asking him silently if there is any.

He nods almost imperceptibly. I try, but fail miserably at hiding my grin. My heart flutters at the prospect that this Edward may be interested in me.

"Shall we, Miss Swan?"

"We most certainly shall, Doctor Cullen," I reply, tucking my hand into the crook of his elbow.

As we leave the house, I can't help but turn around to look at the man who stole my heart. His fists are clenched till his knuckles are white, his expression seemingly impassive but his eyes are blazing and his jaw is clenched tight.

I successfully hide my smile, though I want to laugh at his reaction with a childish glee. Yep, there may be hope for us yet in 1917.

O.o.O

We take a short drive to the venue of the gala during which, Carlisle not so subtly tries to enquire on his life after Edward was changed.

"Carlisle, I really don't want to mess up the future more than necessary," I say through gritted teeth, remembering Jake's serious words to me before I left.

Carlisle sighs. "I don't need to know the specifics, Bella. It's just that I've been alone for so long now..." he trails off, looking wistful.

His words tug at my heartstrings. I know what it's like to be alone despite being surrounded by people.

He helps me out of his grey Chevrolet, like the perfect gentleman he is.

"You'll have a family. And you will fall in love with a very kind woman," I whisper.

"A family?" he matches my volume, sounding incredulous.

I watch him take in what I've revealed. He looks genuinely happy for once since I've met him in 1917. Good. Maybe that will keep him satisfied for a while.

"Where are we?" I muse, looking at a house on a land area which can rival the Masens' house.

"The Rays' place of course," Carlisle says as-a-matter-of-factly.

How many Ray families are there in Chicago? Surely not...

"Yes, this is Sophie Ray's residence," Carlisle answers my unspoken question.

My legs want to drag me away, preferably anywhere but on Sophie Ray's land but I've promised Mrs Masen I'd turn up. I can't just walk away now.

"What are we doing here? I thought the Masens are hosting the gala."

"Didn't anyone tell you? The annual charity gala is co-hosted by the Masens and the Rays. Last year they had it at the Masens' place so this year it's here."

"Shall we go in?" Carlisle asks, offering me his arm.

I want to tell him that the sight of this house and the people who own it will probably cause me to throw up the last meal I had, but since I can't, I tuck my hand into the crook of his elbow.

"We shall," I say, faking a smile. I probably don't sound enthusiastic at all but give me a break - I am about to find out what Edward's fiancée looks like.

A doorman bows politely as he ushers us in. The hired help inside the house show us to the ballroom.

"The Rays' have outdone themselves this year," Carlisle comments, looking around at the decorations appreciatively.

Four gigantic glass sculptures adorn the four corners of the room with pink and purple ribbons linking them together.

Famous paintings are hung strategically on the otherwise empty walls. Fifteen or so dinner tables are arranged carefully around the room, making room for the dance floor and a makeshift stage with a podium. More hired help are walking around with glasses of wine on trays, offering drinks to the guests.

"Carlisle Cullen! What was with your rather last minute RSVP a couple of days ago?" A rather large sized middle-aged woman comes up to us. She eyes Carlisle suggestively. Carlisle smiles at her politely and looks rather uncomfortable. I'm forced to hide my giggles as a fit of coughing.

Carlisle raises an eyebrow at me, but cannot comment due to the circumstances.

"Oh and who are you?" the woman asks, looking at me like I'm some sort of insect. Her eyes trail down to where my hand is clasping Carlisle's arm and narrow even further.

"I'm Bella Swan," I state simply, disliking the woman more and more. What's her deal?

"Oh. I've never heard of you," she says dismissively and turns her attention immediately back to Carlisle, who tenses up, becoming almost as still as stone underneath my hand.

The woman rakes a fingernail down Carlisle's chest and flutters her eyelashes at him. God, this would be funny under other circumstances but right now, I have to fight the urge to gag.

"Sorry Madam, but my date has to introduce me to some other people. We'll see you around," I purr, tugging on Carlisle's hand as I walk away from the cougar.

Once we're clear of her, I stop stifling my giggles. I am laughing so hard that I double over, clutching my side where it hurts. Fuck. I should have captured it on film!

Carlisle eyes me while I clutch at my side in pain as tears start rolling down my cheeks like I've lost my mind before the corners of his lips lift into an amused smile.

"It wasn't funny," Carlisle says tersely, folding his arms. For some reason, that makes me laugh harder, attracting some irritated looks from the other guests.

Then, something changes. My skin starts tingling and it sends a thrill down my spine. I look up into the blazing green eyes of Edward Masen, standing across the room alone. I smile tentatively at him.

He stares at me expressionlessly for a few beats before returning my smile with my favorite lopsided grin which melts my insides. I feel my knees go weak and grab onto Carlisle for support.

"Are you all right?" Carlisle asks as he grasps my elbows to support me.

I nod because quite frankly, I'm too busy staring at Edward to do anything else.

Edward's smile drops and his eyes blaze momentarily before he looks away.

Jeez! What's up with Masen now? One moment he's smiling that panty-dropping grin and the next he looks like someone just kicked his puppy. How am I ever going to keep up with his mood swings?

Carlisle kneels in front of me. "Don't worry, Bella. He'll come around. Actually, I don't think it will take long. In less than two hours he will be coming for you, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so?" I gaze at Edward's retreating form forlornly. It's so difficult to chase after a man whom I can't even fathom.

"Definitely, judging by the less than gentlemanly words he is muttering to himself," Carlisle chuckles.

"What is he saying?" I ask, intrigued. I know Edward tends to talk to himself, but he always mutters too fast for me to make out the words.

He smirks and pats my head like I'm a small child before standing up and leading me to our designated table.

"So who was that woman?"

"Which woman?" Carlisle feigns ignorance, his eyes too wide to be telling the truth.

"Don't play coy, Carlisle. I'm referring to the one who was all over you like a rash," I say crossly as he helps me into my seat.

"Oh. _That_ woman. She's Cheyenne Ray. The co-host of this charity gala," he shrugs.

I almost spit the white wine I just sipped onto the table. That woman is going to be Edward's mother-in-law? Okay, I am really starting to question his taste now.

"So did the two of you have a little something-something going on?" I smile at Carlisle. I can't pass up this perfect opportunity to tease him, can I?

Carlisle looks all kinds of uncomfortable now, and I think he will be blushing if he could. He tugs at the collar of his suit and loosens his tie.

"Bella, I assure you, I've never -"

My giggles erupt before I can stop them.

"Jeez, relax! I'm just teasing you," I tell him, while patting his arm.

Carlisle looks relieved. He looks like he wants to say something more but a whiny voice interrupts our exchange.

"Edward! Don't you miss me?"

I look away from Carlisle and in the direction of the irritating voice. Edward looks thoroughly annoyed as he leads a blonde haired girl who's practically draped around him over to our table.

"Is that..." I trail off, staring at the girl who is probably Sophie Ray.

Carlisle nods. "Yeah, that's Cheyenne Ray's daughter."

Sophie Ray is pretty. Much prettier than I expected. Her light blonde hair is carefully pinned so that a few tendrils fall strategically around her face. She is almost as fair as me, with big icy blue eyes. How can I ever compete with her?

"Edward? Why is that girl staring at me? Do I have something on my face?" Sophie asks, tugging on Edward's arm.

I clear my throat and look away hastily, feeling my face heat up. Shit. Caught checking out the competition.

"Looks like subtlety isn't your strong trait," Carlisle teases me, chuckling at my expression.

I elbow his side, forgetting that he's a vampire momentarily, earning myself a bruise.

"Ow! Dammit, I forgot you're harder than steel," I wince, rubbing my elbow.

Carlisle looks like he's about to say something in reply but is interrupted by Sophie seating herself in the chair adjacent to mine and demanding my attention.

"You're Bella Swan?"

I nod, surprised by the way she decides to talk to me.

"What do you plan to achieve by staying at Edward's house? Do you want his pity? Are you planning to live off him? Well, listen up old lady. I expect you to be out of his house by the time this gala ends. Find someone else to leech off from. Do I make myself clear?"

Her little speech shocks the hell out of me. I gape at her for a few seconds before recovering.

"Okay, listen here. Staying at Edward's house isn't my idea. It's Mrs Masen's. So if you have any objections, you're more than welcome to raise them to her. Secondly, I have no plans to leech off him. I don't need anyone to provide for me. I can provide for myself. And thirdly, who the hell do you think you're calling 'old lady'?"

"You're older than Edward and I. That makes you an old lady," she shrugs. She tugs on Edward's arm again. "Edward, can you believe the nerve of this person? She actually thinks she's more than just a charity case!"

Edward looks beyond furious. He shrugs his arm away from Sophie's, squeezes his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Miss Ray, if you can't say anything pleasant, I suggest you don't say anything at all," Carlisle interjects, standing and gesturing for me to exchange seats with him.

"It's okay, Carlisle," I reassure him, "I'm capable enough to deal with unpleasant people like her."

Why isn't Edward saying anything? Why isn't he defending me? I look up at him just as he opens his eyes, waiting for him to say something. Anything at all.

He doesn't. He proceeds to drag Sophie away from the table like she's a small child, leaving me to stare at him in disbelief. This is _not_ the Edward I know at all.

"I can't believe it," I murmur to myself.

"She's unbelievably rude for a girl of this social status," Carlisle says, mistaking my comment of Edward's actions for Sophie Ray's. "Forget about it, Bella. She's not worth your dwelling upon it."

I give him a small smile but find myself unable to say anything in response.

A man steps up onto an elevated platform which serves as the stage and clears his throat into the microphone. A carpet of silence falls over the guests in seconds, and they gaze up at him expectantly.

"Is that Mr Ray?" I ask Carlisle unnecessarily.

He nods. "He's one of the most pretentious men I know. Most of the people here only pretend to respect him because of his social status," he murmurs in disgust.

"First and foremost, I'd like to thank all of you, distinguished guests for your presence tonight at the annual charity gala. All proceeds tonight will go to the nearby charitable organizations, so please, donate generously, gentleman."

I can't help but roll my eyes at his last statement. Does he think that women are unable to donate for this worthy cause?

"Secondly," Mr Ray continues after the applause has died down, "I'm sure you all are famished. Without further ado, may I present you all with the finest cuisine from France."

O.o.O

After an impressive auction of antique pieces of furniture and rare jewelry, the hired help clears the tables away to make way for the dance floor.

Carlisle offers me his hand. "May I have the honor of this dance, Miss Swan?"

My eyes drift over to Edward. I see him asking Sophie to dance as well. I shake my head slightly to clear that image from my brain before placing my hand in Carlisle's.

"I'd love to dance with you. But be warned, I'm a horrible dance partner."

"I'm sure I can manage, Miss Swan," Carlisle chuckles, leading me onto the dance floor.

Carlisle is a very good dancer, of course, with all his superior reflexes and the absence of two left feet. I felt as safe with him as when with the Edward I left back home.

I can't help but look at Edward while we're dancing, even though I know I'm being quite rude toward Carlisle. He looks absolutely beautiful on the dance floor, dancing with so much grace. Sophie is an amazing dancer as well, and definitely does not have two left feet like me. I add that to the growing list of qualities that I do not possess.

"He will come around sooner or later, Bella. Don't worry," Carlisle whispers into my ear.

"How do you know? I doubt he's muttering anything to himself right now."

"Trust me on this one," he says just as the song ends.

A slower song starts to play and just as I'm about to start dancing with Carlisle again, someone with a head of copper hair wearing a black tuxedo steps up to us. My heart thumps a disjointed beat when I realize it's Edward.

Carlisle smiles at me with a smile that obviously says 'I told you so' and steps away from me.

"May I cut in?"

"Certainly, Mr Masen," Carlisle replies politely.

"Avoid the cougar, Carlisle," I say jokingly. He rolls his eyes and disappears into the throng of dancing couples.

"Hey," I say to Edward when our eyes meet.

"Hey yourself," Edward smiles my crooked grin which makes my insides melt as he takes my hand.

We dance in a comfortable enough silence despite my burning curiosity about his behavior before dinner. The question still runs through my head even now when we're dancing and he acts as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred before.

"You look extremely beautiful tonight, Bella," he says as he twirls me unexpectedly. Somehow, I don't stumble and he catches me securely in his arms, pressing me against his body. The way he gazes at me makes my blood sing in my veins and burns wherever we touch.

"It's just the dress. I don't usually wear such pretty things." I avert my eyes from him.

"Don't do that," he says, releasing one hand from my waist and tilting my chin up until I'm forced to meet his green eyes.

"Do what?" I say softly.

"Don't put yourself down like that. Don't hide from me. You are beautiful, Isabella Swan. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life." He says this with so much sincerity that I cannot doubt what he says.

"Really?" I ask, a smile tugging at my lips.

"You should be smiling all the time. You look even more beautiful when you smile."

He opens his mouth again to say something but we're rudely interrupted by Sophie who yanks me quite painfully from Edward's arms.

"What the hell?" I say angrily, rubbing my arm where she pulled me.

"Sophie what are you -"

"Why are you dancing with _her_?" Sophie interrupts him, placing her hands on her hips.

"Are you trying to dictate who I can and cannot dance with now? You don't have that kind of power over me," he hisses angrily as he drags her away somewhere else, leaving me alone on the dance floor.

After a moment's hesitation, I lift my skirts and follow after them.

"Are you changing your mind about me? Is that what this is about?" Sophie demands to know as she folds her arm across her chest.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm your fiancée, Edward Masen! She's just a nobody living off your money!"

Edward pinches the bridge of his nose. "You're _not_ my fiancée, Sophie. And even if you were, you have nothing to worry about. She means nothing to me. _Nothing_."

I gasp at his words and this gives away my presence to the two. Sophie looks at me smugly, while Edward looks simply horrified.

I know it's definitely too soon for Edward to have any romantic feelings for me, but I thought he'd at least consider me a friend. Why else would he let me stay at his house?

His words echo over and over again in my mind. _She means nothing to me. Nothing_.

I scoff at myself for even harboring the thought that this Edward and I can be more than just friends, but cannot stop my tears from falling as I lift up my skirts and high tale away from them.

I don't stop running until I'm as far away from the Rays' residence as possible while wearing the death traps, and by some miracle, I haven't stumbled even once. My feet are sore and painful as hell.

I look back for the first time since I ran away. The last of my hope shatters right in front of my eyes. Edward didn't come after me. Why would he anyway?

O.o.O

**A/N: I am extremely sorry for the very late update. This chapter is long overdue! Since my finals are finally over, updates will be more regular. Say, once a fortnight?**

**Thanks for all the support and all your lovely reviews. They are all greatly appreciated!**

**Drop me a note and let me know what you think. XOXO, DILK.**


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